The Planchonella eerwah is listed as endangered under the Commonwealth's Endangered Species Protection Act as well as Queensland's Nature Conservation Act.

The tree can grow to 40 metres, has glossy leaves and bears a plum-like fruit.

Only 160 wild Planchonella eerwah trees have been officially recorded in three areas of south-east Queensland: in the Ipswich-Beaudesert and Beenleigh–Ormeau–Pimpama areas and the Eumundi-Maleny area of the Sunshine Coast.

The tree was thought to be extinct until its re-discovery in 1980, however it remained threatened by land clearing, weed invasion and pests such as feral pigs.

Mr Johnson said the Bundaberg tree had been informally identified as a Planchonella eerwah by respected amateur botanist Glenn Leiper, and a sample of the tree would be sent to the Queensland Herbarium for a formal identification.

Mr Leiper said the tree's presence in Bundaberg could indicate it was a remnant of an older rainforest, and part of a continuous population of the plant dating back thousands of years.

"Climatic change and fires would have wiped out the rest, which is why we are only seeing little pockets of the population now," he said.

"It's a plant that may have been spread by ancient cassowaries, because the seeds are too heavy and large for smaller birds to digest."

More trees of this type may be out there

Mr Leiper said the discovery of the tree in the Bundaberg region was significant, and could open the possibility that this tree was a new genotype.

"We could find more of these trees," he said.

"If this species has been found, it could also mean there are more remnant species to be discovered. This is why it is so important to keep these remnants intact."

The landowner on whose property the Planchonella eerwah was found has vowed to protect the tree and was keeping his name and address private.

"It's like finding you've been left in charge of an endangered animal or an orphan child," he told the ABC.

"We feel like we've been given the task of seeing that it survives and thrives."